Animal-trap.



E. F. SIDDONS, DEGD. ms. J. T. FLAHEETY, ADMINISTRATRIX.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2 1, 1 30,852.

3, 1912. RENEWED AUG. 20, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTC-LITHO, WASHINGmN, D C

E. F. SIDDONS, DEGD. MRS. J. T. PLAHERTY. ADMINISTRATRIX. ANIMAL TRAP. AN.23, 1912., RENEWED AUG. 20, 1914.

APPLIGATION FILED J 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PI-IOTo-Llrl-Iovv WASHINGTON, D, C,

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

KI ED STATES Parana on I ENOCH IF. SIDDONS, OF BED LODGE, MONTANA; .MRS- JOHN '1. FLAHERTY ADMINIS 'IB'A- TRIK- OF'SAID SIDDONS, DECEASED.

' ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7,

Application filed January 23, 1912,Seria1 No. 672,818. Renewed August 20, 1914. Serial No. 857,801.

To all whom it may concern a Be it known that I, ENOGH F. Srnnonsga citizen of the United States, residing at Red Lodge, in the county of Garbonand State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in animal traps.

In carryingout my invention it is my purpose to provide spring traps with jaws and pans of'a novel construction which maybe set automatically by pressure upon the springs, thus obviating the danger incident to the setting of the ordinary spring trap.

Heretofore it. has been absolutely necesi the jaws tospring together, and thus injure the hands of the trapper in his attempt to set the catch. Furthermore, in the general construction of traps, no provision is made against having the trap sprung by birds, mice, etc., attracted to the trap by the bait, which of course renders the trap useless for catching the animal for which it has been set.

It is my object to obviate the above obj ections by constructing traps in which pressure on the spring will automatically open the jaws, which are provided with adjustable pans having a plurality of integrally formed catches to adapt the traps to the various sizes of animals to be trapped, and to have their jaws of a peculiar and novel construction wherein that part of the animals leg first grasped will be be held under all conditions. I also aim to provide jaws and pans as described to fit any ordinary trap.

With the above objects, and others of a similar nature in view, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of 'a'trap constructed in accordance with the present invention, the jaws being in their closed position. Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally of the pan. Fig.3 is a side elevation of my improvement applied to a double spring trap. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the 1ine-44 of Fig. 3. -Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the slidable nut member. Fig." 6 1s a plan View of the blank from which the pan is formed. Fig. 7 is a detail plan view'of a portion of the bar 19 and a portion of the bottom plate 1 illustrating theturning member 22 engaging the upset end of thebar and the sliding nut.

; Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the bottom plate of the trap. This plate is of the usual formatron comprising a rectangular member having both of its ends upset as designated by the numerals 2 and 3. Both of these upset ends are provided with an opening 4:, the

i said openings adapted to receive the pivots whereby the ends of jaws 5 and 6 are connected to the said upset portions 2 and 13. The upset end 2 is provided with a slit or opening. 8 at its juncture with the bottom plate, the said slit being adapted to receive the reduced tongue 7 provided upon the flat tened spring member 8. The springmember 8 is provided with the usual opening 9 surrounding the jaws and through which the upset end 3 of the bottom plate projects when the trap is set and it is of course understood that the said spring is positioned below the jaws 5 and 6. The tongue 7 of the spring is provided with an opening, the said opening being adapted to receive the chain 10 which retains the trap at a desired loca tion. The spring is curved upwardly a suitable distance from the end provided with the tongue 7, so as to oiier suflicient resiliency to close the jaws 4: and 5 when the retaining mechanism, hereinafter described in connection with the pan, has been operated by the said pan. The end of the spring opposite thatof the tongue 7 isprovided with a reduced extension 11, the said extension serving as a foot or hand lever whereby the spring is pressed in order to set the trap.

The bottom plate 1 is centrally provided with an opening 12, the said opening adapted for the reception ofa nut 13. This nut 13 is of a peculiar construction comprising a head 14: which is provided with a threaded r, f illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, is

opening '15, and with a projecting reduced stem '16, thelowe'r extremity ofwhich being V preferably headed as at 17." The stem 16 is opening 18 provided upon the pan bar 19. V The nut when turned to a right angle, after rectangular in cross section, whereby .the I same, when positioned 1n one direction, may

be readily inserted through a rectangular being inserted through the said slot- 1 8, will bear against the panbar adjacent the said Slot. One of the extremities of the pan bar 19 is upset or. otherwise provided with a i shoulder 20, the said upset portion orshoul- I provided With anppening 23,.the latter be ing adapted for the reception of a nailor the like, whereby the'saidbar22'is rotated so as-to bring the upsetend 20 of the pan bar 19 either toward oraway from the nut 13., the purpose-of whichfwill presently be set forth... V V One-end of-the -bar 19 is bifurcated, and the arms 24 thus provided. are bent upon .themselves to form eyes 25, the said eyes re ceiving a pintle 26, .which also. passes through openings formed in depending portions-28 provided upon one end of a rectangular flattened .pan 29. The pan 29 as struckefrom a single piece of metal, therear portion being bent and each of the end portions' having their longitudinal edges cut inwardlyand inclined toward each other,the edges of the said inclinedportions notched or .incut to provide-the hooks 30, two or more of which being arranged upon each of the said inclined edges. 'The extremity of this reduced portion is bifurcated as at 31, and the portions adjacent the said bifurcations are provided with openings 32. ;The said members are then bent downwardly and to- Ward each other upon the dotted lines illustrated in Fig. 6. ''When the said ends are thus bent it will be noted that they are arranged at an approximately right angle to the body of the pan, and the extremities provided with the openings 32 are adapted'to engage "with a pintle 26 which passes through the eyes provided by the bifurcated end ofthe pan-bar. Surrounding the pintle between the endsor ears. formed with the openings 32, is a helical springBl, the latter exerting pressure between the downturned portion of thepan and the pan bar so as to normally :forcethe pan in an upward posiion oraway from the bar .19.

below the opening 9'oflispring formed with arcuate fingers 35 and '36,'the same bein f'incli'ned upwardly. at a suitable angle derl ie ancl withwhi'ch they contact, and by n this arrangement it will benote d that upon .with relation to the spring 8 which they un i compression or" thespring 11, thesaid spring contacting with the fingers 35. and

will automatically swing the jaws "open so that thejaw '5 will engage. with onej of the pairs of hooks provided upon'the pan 29, thus settingthe trap without danger I of the trapper placing his fingers-ibetween the a e to arra ge t e cat hilfi rth'e. j aws- The j 5 and .6;h etheir urin tion r a ed ub ant lly :ip rallcl e ott m b the t ap hi thei at! i arms are positionedat {a substantiallymight I 7 gle ot e uppe 0r-conn ngfpe tien ofthe' said jaws. Thev sidezor-pivoted arms arev reduced while the uppe r or grasping por s f, th j re en arg d and -.-ar arranged at a suitable angle one away from the other, $Othat the said jaws, when intheir, i

losed-p i o a e t ially V .s .eped in Cross i By thislpecllliar w nnsb l tiqh :5 of he j w h m will ff ct vely "gra p the swollen portionof the foot of theani-mal and retain the said animal under all coridi- 5 t o s V y op r t ngi-th ngrod hmp bar and pan will be moved transversely lot-the jaws ,sotha-t the jaw ;5 when swung, may contactwith the entire engaging surface of either of the series of hooks, or the said jaw may b o g te g eiw i nly t e :1:

outericorner or edges 'otthejsriid hooks, thus requiring a small or .a large amount of pressure upon the pan to swing; the same and spring thejaws. By providing the pan with two series othooks either "of which; may be engaged by the jaw 5, it will be .notedthat boththe springsS and 34 will be compressed to a :requireddegreeto permit of the springs operating the pan and jaws ,.inaccorda nce 11o with the, weight deposited upon the pan as for instance, should the jaw 5 \be brought intoengagement with the-upper series 0f hooks 30, the springs will be -only Slightly compressed, and -when the jaw .is brought into-engagement withtheloweraseriesiof hooks 30, the springsare further-compressed so that aheavier weight will be deposited upon thepan to spring the jaws than the weight required for springing the jaws when the said j awbengages with-the upper series of hooks 30. j A

. From the, above description, -taken inconnection with .the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of theistructure, as, wellas the many advantages thereof will, it

thought be perfectly apparent to those V I skilledin the art to "which-such inventions The aws, 5 and 6, in the presentinstance, havetheir pivoted offset portions directly and adjustable pan bar may be applied to any ordinary make of traps either separately or connectively.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is 1. In a trap of the class described, spring pressed jaws, a pan having its end provided with hooks adapted to be engaged by one of the jaws, and means for adjusting the pan to permit any of its series of hooks being engaged by the said jaw to regulate the tension of the springof the jaws.

2. In a trap of the class described, spring pressed jaws, a pan having its end provided with hooks and adapted to be engaged by one of the jaws, and means comprising a turning rod for adjusting the pan to permit any of its series of hooks being partly or wholly engaged by the said jaw, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a trap of the class described, a base to the base plate, a pan having one of its ends provided with a series of hooks, a pan bar pivotally connected with the hooked end of the pan, a spring between the bar and pan, said bar having an elongated opening, a nut secured to the base plate and passing through the opening, the free end of the pan bar having a downturned shoulder provided with a threaded opening, and an oppositely threaded turning rod engaging within the threaded opening and within the bore of the nut, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOCH F. SIDDONS.

Witnesses:

E. A. LOGAN, D. G. OSmiA.

copies 0! this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Iatenta, Washington, D. 0." 

